Thabo Sefolosha Trial: Latest Details, Comments and More

Police escort Thabo Sefolosha out of the 10th Precinct of the New York Police Department on April 8. Both Sefolosha and Antic were charged with obstructing governmental administration.

Bartolomey offered Sefolosha one day of community service in exchange for a dismissal of the obstruction, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct charges but he declined.

Sefolosha and then-Hawks teammate Pero Antic were arrested in Manhattan in the early hours of April 8 for interfering with the establishment of a crime scene after the stabbing of then-Indiana Pacers forward Chris Copeland outside a nightclub.

Hawks training camp begins on September 27, but Sefolosha has not yet been cleared for basketball activities and has set the team’s regular-season opener as a more attainable return date. But Sefolosha rejected the offer, opting to fight the charges before a jury.

If his injury and the court case against him end up compromising his ability to play for some or all of the season, though, Atlanta will be in a hard situation that will force it to rely on unproven players, such as Lamar Patterson and Terran Petteway.

“He’s innocent and wants to be vindicated”, Spiro said.

Prosecutors agreed to turn over the NYPD’s Civilian Complaint Review Board’s interview with the arresting officers prior to trial.

Sefolosha said he’s stilling in rehab for his leg, which was broken in the altercation, and isn’t sure yet when he’ll be back in action.